“It’s exciting to be with Tadej Pogacar in the best team in the world” – UAE’s highly rated brothers ready to take the next step together in 2026

Two careers are beginning to converge inside the UAE Team Emirates - XRG structure, and they are doing so with a shared sense of patience rather than urgency. Pablo and Jaime Torres are approaching the next phase of their development together, grounded by family, shaped by gradual progression, and clear about what still needs work.

Speaking to AS, Pablo Torres reflected on a first full season that mixed progress with interruption. “It was a tough year, a big change where you really feel the difference. I also lacked continuity at certain moments due to injuries, but it was still a huge learning experience and gave me a lot for the coming years. I have many years signed and the team tells me I need to stay calm, grow little by little, do things properly to become a great rider, and that takes time.”

That message of patience runs through the Torres household. Jaime, who will join the UAE development pathway in 2026, has already had an early glimpse of the environment he is stepping into.

“Last year I was invited to the training camp and it was already a dream. I want to make the most of this opportunity, carve out a place for myself and learn.”

For both brothers, the biggest adjustment is not ambition but pace. Pablo has seen first hand how rapidly the ceiling keeps rising at the top level. “This year I improved almost all my numbers in short efforts, also up to 20 minutes and even one hour. I also gained a bit of weight, which is power, but I still have room to progress. Last year, in the Tour de l’Avenir stage I won, I did it by more than a minute over second place. This year, with those numbers, even slightly better, almost 10 riders could hold on in the group. Every year it gets faster.”

Jaime is clear about where his own learning curve lies. “I know I can do well and that probably my biggest weakness is handling myself in the peloton, and that’s something we’re going to work on hard.”

The prospect of overlapping race days remains a long term motivation rather than an immediate goal. “It’s exciting for him to be with us in the best team in the world and, even though it’s another category, hopefully we can share some races,” Pablo said, noting that development riders can step up when the race is not World Tour.

The Torres story extends beyond two riders. Their sister Celia is also set to join the UAE development system, completing a rare family pathway within the same organisation. “Making the step up to the UAE development team is a source of pride because it’s one of the best in the world, and when I started competing in cycling I would even have paid to achieve it. I had one goal in mind, which was to try to step up to a professional team, and doing it with UAE is an honour,” she told AS.

What links all three is not hype but continuity. They live together, train together when schedules allow, and approach progress as something to be earned season by season. Jaime summed up the inspiration closest to home. “I’d love to have a career like his.”

For now, the next step is simple. Keep learning, keep improving, and let time do the rest.